Just the Beginning
by Talisa
Summary: A mysterious man from Phoebe's past comes back
1. The Mysterious Stranger

Setting: After The Good, The Bad, and The Cursed-3 days before Piper's Wedding  
Translation(so you know what they are saying no one else but Phoebe and Caleb can understand the language)  
It was a quiet Monday afternoon; all the sisters were home in the kitchen eating a late lunch. Prue didn't have a photo shoot until tomorrow; P3 wasn't open yet so Piper didn't need to be there at the moment; and Phoebe had only morning classes that particular day. They all were laid back, spending some well-needed quality sister time. Piper was up getting another cup of coffee when the front doorbell rang.   
"I'll get it" Prue said as she jumped up from the chair that she was sitting on and raced to the front door, leaving Phoebe and Piper back in the kitchen.  
"Hello, does a Miss Phoebe Halliwell live here?" the attractive man in front her asked. He was dressed in black pants; a matching black shirt with some buttons undone revealing his still very attractive chest; and a black over coat. In his hand he held a small piece of paper, which looked to have the sister's address on it.  
"Umm yeah…just a sec, Phoebe someone is here for you"she called back into the house.  
"So who are you?" Prue asked turning back to the man. He didn't have ample time to answer her when Phoebe ran up behind her.  
"Who is it Prue?" Without another word the man jumped to his knees bowing before Phoebe. Prue jumped back from the doorway in surprise. Phoebe shot a guilty look towards Prue that she didn't catch and then looked back to the man still on the floor.  
"Uhh alk upfooistead."Look Up Phoebe obviously had an idea of why the man was bowing before her. The man looked up, still bowing, when Piper had just entered the foyer.  
"Caleb?" Phoebe asked.  
"What's going on?" Piper asked thoroughly confused by the man bowing to Phoebe. Prue shrugged her shoulders, just as confused as Piper was, maybe a bit more.  
"Get up" Phoebe said to Caleb. The man just glanced at her and then returned to his full bowing position.  
"Jang alkst"Stand up Phoebe now commanded a bit annoyed. The man stood and now smiled at Phoebe and looked toward her totally puzzled sisters.  
"What are you doing here?" Phoebe now asked.  
"Faw mial hud gur"I came to tell you thatthe man started.  
"English…Caleb" Phoebe glanced at her sisters who were realizing that Phoebe knew who this man was and why he was speaking the strange language.  
"I came to tell you 'you know who' found you. They're here, in San Francisco, searching the entire city for you" He was still nervous and shifty, especially when he looked at Prue, who looked like she wanted to throw him out the door. Which was true in a way, both Prue and Piper were very frustrated because they obviously didn't know what the hell was going on.  
"Come on in" Phoebe gestured to inside the house. Caleb looked around at the doorframe but wouldn't budge.  
"Oh you know you making this harder than it should be…Racnas"You may enter He entered apprehensively at first, and then happily received the hug Phoebe gave him. Prue and Piper were still in the corner, stunned, when Caleb turned to them.  
"May I speak freely?" he asked without removing his gaze from the two remaining sisters.  
"Yes of course Caleb. By the way this is Caleb Jackson. And these are my sisters Pr…"  
"Prue and Piper. I know who the Charmed Ones are. Would you have any doubt that I wouldn't know the Charmed Ones or your sisters my…" Phoebe clapped a hand over his mouth before he could finish his sentence.  
"Jumbla umbaguard intyfron trenis. Gerj gin hajj fêtes folk se Juakd"That was along time ago. There is no need to call me that anymore Phoebe said as strictly as possible.  
"Would someone like to tell us what the hell is going on here?" Prue finally said. Piper nodded in agreement.  
"Opiu dami gokj cadge?"You never told them? He turned to face Phoebe.  
"No! And I didn't plan to either." She answered, trying every possible way not to look at her sisters.  
"Whether or not you didn't tell them before, your going to have to tell them now. It's not just me who knows you're a Charmed One, they know too, that's why they wanted you as their fifth so much."  
"Yeah, yeah I know. Well better late than never." Phoebe turned to face her sisters.  
"Guys I got something to tell. So let's go in the living room." She motioned for everyone to go in to the living room, while both Prue and Piper gave her a duh! look as they passed her. Caleb went over and sat on one couch with Phoebe sitting next to him, and Prue and Piper sat down on the couch in front of them. It was now Piper who shifted back and forth, afraid of what Phoebe had to say.  
"I...I..."Phoebe started but the words just didn't come out and she turned to Caleb for help.  
"I'll start okay…"He offered as Phoebe nodded in agreement.  
"Ok let's see,Prue,Piper. Phoebe Halliwell is a lot of things, a sister, a friend, a daughter, a witch, a Charmed One, a girlfriend of a demon…"he smirked as she playfully elbowed him in the side.  
"But she is also more than that." He tried to think about the best way to phrase what he is about to say, when he noticed both of her sisters fidgeting uncontrollably in apprehension.  
"The minute after her birth she was chosen to be the newest elite member of a very ancient assembly of women with...umm…very interesting historical backrounds. Well, as you know now, you are a part of a long line of powerful witches leading up to the Charmed Ones, well other people knew what you were destined to be before you, and that is why they chose Phoebe to be their fifth. A new assembly is brought together every hundred years; the old members bequeath all of their powers to the newest members; and then in turn the newest members start up where the last group left off; and so on and so forth until about nine years ago. As you also know, out of all of you Phoebe is more inclined to go either way…"  
"Go either way???" Piper interrupted.  
"She can be a strong force for good or a strong force for evil. Take for example the incident with the Woogyman or the thing that happened two weeks ago where Prue was forced to marry a warlock; which turned Phoebe and you evil too."  
"How would you know that?" Prue getting a little worried about why this strange man would know all of this.  
"You could say I keep tabs on how she is doing."  
"Why?" Piper questioned.  
"Once I finish the story, you'll know why. May I continue?" he asked politely.  
"Go right ahead." Prue answered.  
"As I was saying Phoebe can be a strong force for good or a strong force for evil; well many people were aware of this when she was in high school." Unsure of what to say next, he turned to Phoebe to see if she wanted to chime in. As she nods in agreement, she reluctantly realizes she is going to have to partake in story time too.  
"Prue, do you remember Mia and Alexis? From second grade? They used to be my best friends until CJ and Isabelle came along in sixth grade, then they never spoke to me again. Until I think about ninth grade, you remember Piper, they came crawling back after they saw how popular I was with your guy's reputations in high school. I was like a goddess, so I regretfully became friends with them again. Well they're who we are talking about." Phoebe motioned to Caleb and herself.  
"You saying sweet little Mia and Alexis are coming after you, Pheebs?? Are you sure honey?" Prue questioned, but Phoebe couldn't take it. One) Prue was being Prue and wasn't believing what she was saying and Two) what she had to say next. Caleb knew Phoebe had to regain her composure, so he once again resumed the storyteller position.  
"Yes, that is exactly who is coming after Phoebe. Along with CJ and Isabelle, they are all coming after to her; and now if they don't get her soon they'll come after you and Piper like they went after Victor." He warned.  
"Dad?!? Why did they go after Dad? Not to mention, when?!?" Piper said surprised by the mention of their father.  
"When I went to New York, I was still trying to get away from them, but they got there not long after I did."  
"They went after him for leverage, and that's exactly what they'll be looking for from you two." Caleb added.  
"Whoa!Whoa!Whoa! How 'bout we start at the beginning? I am not quite sure I am gonna get this unless we go through the whole thing." Prue interrupted.  
"Okay, well it all started the fall of my senior year of high school. Prue, you and Piper were away at college; I think Grams was looking for another husband, so I guess she figured I was adult enough to pretty much take care of myself. Like I was saying, by that time I was pretty popular in school with you two preceding me; I had my four closet friends around me, a terrific boyfriend, life was excellent." She said leaning into Caleb while he blushed and Piper and Prue exchanged a look.  
"I think it was after basketball practice in December, I was the only one left in the locker room because I had stayed late practicing free throws.  
  
An seemingly empty locker room-about ten years ago  
A much younger Phoebe had just come out of the showers and was almost done dressing when a boy snuck up behind her, preparing to scare her.  
"Caleb Jackson, I can hear you coming a mile away. I am on the ball today, don't you dare try to scare me again!" she said as she turned to face him and laughs. They met for a long passionate kiss, and then Phoebe realized she only had a tank top and jeans on and was starting to catch a chill. She pulled away from him and made her way over to her open locker.  
"I have to throw on something warm and then maybe we could go somewhere close for a early supper?" she suggested, putting on a black hooded sweatshirt from her locker.  
"Umm sure. Whatever, honey." He said as he looked around nervously.  
"What's wrong with you? Got another date I don't know about?" she asked playfully as she wrapped her arms around his hips and looked up at him.  
"Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you I met someone else. She has the most beautiful brown eyes, kinda long brown hair, and she's short compared to me. You know what she kinda looks like you, maybe you should meet her sometime." He said trying to change the subject with a seductive smile as he played with her hair. He brought her close for another long kiss, but this time he moved down to her neck. She felt like she was almost in a hypnotist's trance; when she felt something prick her neck; but by then she was far too relaxed to care as everything went black.  
When she awoke she found herself curled up in Caleb's arms on the couch in the locker room. Caleb was still asleep when she slipped out of his arms and went to find a mirror. She had a surprisingly painful throbbing on the side of her neck. When she reached the mirror, she found she had two small puncture holes with little trickles of dried blood protruding from them.  
"I am really very sorry I had to do that, but I needed to protect you in case they ever try to kill you." A man's voice whispered in her ear. She turned around to see Caleb standing behind her.  
"Who are 'they'?" she asked quietly. Caleb was acting very strange she was almost afraid of what his answer might be. He reached towards her neck, she flinched but all he did was wipe away the blood.  
"They are coming for you. And they should be here any minute." He said grabbing one of her arms and twisting it behind her catching the other and holding them behind her back.  
"Wait! What are you doing?" she asked as he led her away from the mirror and towards the many rows of lockers.  
"He is doing what he was told to do, weren't you Caleb?" Mia said as she stepped out from behind one of the lockers.  
"Yes of course, master." He said still leading a very reluctant Phoebe over to Mia.  
"Master? Let me go dammit! What the hell is going on here?" she said still trying to get free from Caleb's solid grip.  
"Your destiny is what is happening here, Phoebe." Isabelle said stepping out from another row of lockers. CJ and Alexis came to stand next to Isabelle and Mia, who had already positioned themselves in front of Phoebe.  
"What is wrong with you guys? What's all this about destiny? You guys help me, he won't let go." Phoebe refused to believe they had anything to do with this.  
"Fine, if you rather have it that way. Caleb release her." Alexis commanded giving a little nod to him as he released her. No sooner than Caleb had released her, he delivered a blow to her back that sent her to her knees. As she struggled to stand up, Isabelle kicked her shoulder, throwing Phoebe to her back.  
"What the hell? Guys, what are you doing? Help me." Phoebe grabbed her shoulder wincing in pain.  
"We are helping you, Phoebe, helping you to realize your full potential. Believe me, you want to join us." CJ helped her to her feet. Phoebe had a cut above her left eyebrow and Mia tried to wipe off the blood, but Phoebe smacked her hand and backed away in fear.  
"Join you? What is your problem? You guys sound like zombies. Would someone please tell me what's going on here?"  
"Will you come with us willingly?" Alexis questioned, they totally ignored what Phoebe had said.  
"Go where?!?"  
"It is a yes or no question, Phoebe. Which is it?" Mia sternly asked.  
"Not unless you tell me where the hell we're going. I don't think so." Phoebe attempted to walk away, but CJ's hand clamped firmly on her shoulder preventing her from getting anywhere.  
She turned around to see if she could get her to let go of her, but she was hit hard in the stomach from a fist of Alexis. Phoebe doubled over, Mia raised her arms in a fist above her head and was about to bring them down on Phoebe's back when Phoebe moved quickly to the side and all Mia hit was air.  
Phoebe brought her head up to face Mia, she swung first towards her and made contact with the side of Mia's face. The only problem was it hurt Phoebe more than it did Mia; she didn't even seem fazed by the massive swing.  
Phoebe knew she was never going to win this fight; five against one was hardly even odds. As she was pummeled over and over from the four girls, she realized it hurt but the hits left no evident marks on her body.  
The girls laughed as she slumped to the floor falling unconscious.  
  
  
An abandoned warehouse, an hour or two later  
Isabelle held a rod iron pole over a lit trashcan, while Phoebe lay next to her still unconscious.  
"Mia, come here for a second." She asked one of the girls who stood on the other side of Phoebe. She handed Mia the pole, knelt down flipped Phoebe over to lay on her stomach, and slowly took off her sweatshirt.   
She tossed away into the shadows and pulled down one of the straps of Phoebe's tank top, revealing a clear area on the back of Phoebe's shoulder.   
Isabelle gave a nod to Alexis and CJ, who started to repeat a little chant, and she stood up to retrieve the pole from Mia. When Alexis and CJ were done with the chant, Isabelle brought the hot pole down on the pale flesh that covered Phoebe's shoulder blade. After a while she removed the pole from her shoulder, revealing a pentagram, about the size of a half dollar, brand deep into her right shoulder blade. CJ bent down with an ice cube in her hand and started to soothe the wound by tracing the lines with the ice cube, but the brand was too hot and the ice cube melted within thirty seconds. The smell of something burning filled Phoebe's nostrils as she opened her eyes to find she was face down on a cold concrete floor without her sweatshirt that she swore she was wearing just a second ago. She couldn't remember exactly what had happened, she knew she was in the locker room with Caleb and then Mia, Alexis, CJ, and Isabelle showed up acting very weird, but that was all she could remember. As she pushed herself to her knees, she realized that her shoulder felt like someone had just stuck it in a oven. She pulled up the arm loop to her top as noticed she was surrounded by Alexis, Mia, Isabelle, and CJ, who were staring at her with evil intent gleaming in their eyes. Then the memories flooded back into her mind as she remembered what had gone down in the locker room. She looked around, but didn't see the locker room; instead she saw a large room, dirty, and dusty; covered with old barrels. Phoebe couldn't take the pain anymore and reached for her back with her hand and slipped it under her shirt. As her hand scanned her skin for what might be causing her pain, it fell upon the brand, as she traced the lines she figured out what they had burnt into her flesh.  
"A pentagram..." she said.  
"Yes, now that you are fully converted we can start." Alexis said as she started to lead everyone out of the room.  
"Start? Start what?" Phoebe found herself following the four girls out of the room and down several staircases.  
"Start what we were chosen to do." Mia said, laying a hand on Phoebe's left shoulder as they left the building.  
  
Back to the present time  
Prue and Piper sat in awe from the massive story Phoebe had told them; that, in any other household, would have been considered a total work of fiction. But not in this house, the whole thing was true, it had happened to their sister and they didn't even know one thing about it.  
"Believe me now?" Phoebe asked trying to lighten the mood with inappropriate comedy.  
"Pheebs,that was..." Piper started.  
"Huge." Prue finished as she laid back into the couch to soak up all that had been told to her. Both her and Piper were on the edge of their seats during Phoebe's entire story.   
"Why didn't you tell us that in the first place? We could've dealt with that." Piper offered.  
"Well, I would've told you but that's just the beginning." Phoebe told her sisters.  



	2. Little Red Lines

  
  
  
okay some of you might be confused by some parts-so e-mail me if you have any questions   
~kondorsk8r@hotmail.com~  
  
  
  
Prue had had just brought everyone a cup of coffee and sat down again when Phoebe and Caleb had begun the explanation again.  
"Okay, now that we're all situated, what happened next" Piper said cautiously eager.  
"Well I joined them for awhile, doing all the stuff we were supposed to do…"  
"Wait, you joined them? Wouldn't that have made you evil too?" Prue questioned. All Phoebe could do was look away and try not to see Prue in disappointed/mental ambush mode.  
"I think that was a yes." Piper answered for her.  
"Now that I think about it, I imagine, subconsciously of course, that was one quality that attracted me to Cole. Not that I knew that he was evil then." She added quickly seeing her sisters weren't happy with that first sentence.  
"Yeah, right. Okay let's get back to the story then, shall we?" Prue sat back in the couch, not truly believing what Phoebe had said about Cole.  
"Sure. Like I was saying I joined them, did what we were supposed to do; the problem was I didn't like what it was making me feel. Then the worst thing that could possibly happen; happened."  
  
A late night in downtown San Fran , several people are still walking the streets including Phoebe and her friends  
"That one. Yeah that one Phoebe, he looks full of energy." Isabelle pointed across the street at a man sitting on the stoop of his apartment building.  
"Nah, he's too old. Wait how 'bout this one?" Phoebe said as a younger, cuter guy walked passed, totally checking Phoebe out.  
"Okay he's into you anyway. Oh and he's single too. Go for it Pheebs! We'll be waiting for you over there when you're done." CJ answered putting one finger to her head, reading the man's mind. The others walked off leaving Phoebe running to catch up with the handsome stranger.  
"Hey wait up. I am sorry I don't know why I am doing this but my name is Phoebe, what's yours?" she made her way in front of him slowing him down, playing him for all he was worth.  
"Brent. It's nice to meet you Phoebe. I don't usually ask this of total strangers; do you want to get a cup of coffee?" he said looking at his watch realizing it was too late to ask her to dinner.  
"Coffee? Sure I would love, in fact I know this little place around the corner from here called The Teller." She offered knowing that was exactly where he was headed.  
"Wow. That's amazing I was just on my way there. Okay, let's go." He said walking with her to the coffee shop. When they arrived there they got a little booth in the back and started the polite conversation. While Phoebe listened to him tell her where he was from and the whole get to know you talk; she put one finger to her head, listening to his thoughts.  
'Boy I wish she was the kind of girl that I didn't have talk to just to get comfortable around her. I need a fling while I'm here in the city, she IS pretty enough.' His thoughts were totally not on what he was talking about, like she had suspected. Brent was about to ask where she was from, when she put a finger to his lips, stopping his mindless chatter.  
"Let's dispense with the pleasantries. I know you don't want to talk and the thing is I don't want to either. So let's get out of here." Turning on her gifted voice, knowing that Brent was completely in her control with it on. She took his hand and led him out of the café. Nothing was said as they made there way back around to the block where they had met. Brent had felt like he met his soul mate and was ready to do anything for her, which was exactly what Phoebe was looking for.  
  
Penny Halliwell, who was just leaving a restaurant where she'd had just been stood up, had noticed across the street and up a few yards up was her granddaughter. She was just going to go over and join her when she noticed Phoebe wasn't alone, she was with a man. A man who looked older than her by a lot, she was going to dismiss it as a teenager being a teenager when the couple started to make out passionately and slip into a nearby alley.   
Worried that Phoebe was being taken advantage of, she crossed the street and made her way to where they had disappeared.  
  
Phoebe pushed Brent to the alley wall, still continuing the kiss, he wrapped his arms around her waist and her hands found the sides of his face. He started to get a little frisky with her and she decided it was time to do what she was here to do.   
She slipped one of her hands behind his head and to the back of his neck and pinched it a little.  
"Hey what are you doing? That hurts." He tried to pull away from her but she twitched her other hand flipping him over to face the wall.  
"Horny little bastard. You're okayif you start to hurt me but when the roles are reversed you're all 'It hurts, it hurts!'" she said mimicking him, not that he could respond he was almost dead by the time she had finished her sentence. As his life force flowed through her, she threw her head back feeling the full effects of the stolen energy from the man. She didn't even notice someone rounding the corner to walk in on the scene.  
"What the hell are you doing?" Lit by the streetlight, Grams stood stunned from what she was seeing. Phoebe had raised the man off his feet by now, only touching his neck, her arm was glowing from the energy she was getting off Brent, and her head was still throw back in power trip. Hearing someone speaking, Phoebe whipped her head in the direction of the noise.   
Grams was startled, Phoebe didn't look like herself, her eyes were also glowing. Knowing something supernatural was going on here, she tried to reason with Phoebe.  
"Put him down Phoebe!" She commanded. Phoebe didn't budge, eventually her eyes dimmed and went back to their original state, only then did she release her grip on the man. As he slumped to the ground with a thud, Grams ran over to him to see if he was still alive.  
"Don't bother, you won't find a pulse." Phoebe stated as she walked away content with herself. Sure enough everywhere she checked Grmas couldn't find one.  
"Phoebe Halliwell, get back here right now!" Grams threatened as she rose back to her feet.  
"Don't tell me what to do!" Phoebe turned to face her grandmother. Two blondes, a brunette, and one red head soon came to join Phoebe were she stood. Grams walked a little closer then recognized the faces of Phoebe's four best friends. One of them was about to do something to Grams who still was perpetually stunned, when Phoebe stopped her.  
"Leave. Or I won't protect you." She boldly instructed. Grams looked all of them over. They all had on either a strapless or sleeveless tops and dark jeans and evil intent in their eyes.  
  
Back to present time...again  
Phoebe finished for the time, but she noticed how both Prue and Piper looked a little uneasy about this part.  
"Relax you guys! I am a Charmed One now, I am good." Phoebe tried to explain.  
"So you killed that poor man?" Piper asked. But all Phoebe could do was look away, the sign of an automatic 'yes'.  
"Another question, you said they made a pentagram brand on your shoulder, I have never seen it?" Prue questioned.  
"Okay, try to understand. If I didn't want to tell you why would I let you see a dead giveaway? I have kept it hidden with lots of help from different people. Do you want to see it Prue?" Phoebe asked seeing a small amount of skepticism on her face.  
"Only if you want to show to us Pheebs." Piper suggested. Phoebe nodded and turned so the shoulder it was on faced her sisters.  
"Could you give me a hand Caleb? You remember where it is." Caleb nodded and pushed the strap of the sleeveless shirt she was wearing to the side. He then traced a circle, rubbing off a little dust, to reveal the circle of pentagram but then covered it with his palm.  
"Ready?" he asked. Now she nodded and closed her eyes. He applied pressure and when he removed his hand what looked like a chunk of Phoebe's skin came with it.  
"Fake skin." Caleb explained when he saw Piper bite her lip.  
"Hey Pipe, could you go get a ice cube please?" Phoebe asked politely trying not to show her pain.  
"Why? What's wrong?" Prue asked as she rushed over to Phoebe's side.  
"Nothing. It just stings a little. I haven't taken it out for a long time that's all." After Piper came back with the ice cube and they had soothed her wound, Prue found herself staring at it. It was exactly as Phoebe had described it, about the size of a half dollar burnt right into her skin. Only there was something about it, there were small red lines going ¾ the way around the border of the pentagram.   
Prue looked at Piper, she nodded, they were small but both sisters could distinctly see the lines.  
"Pheebs? What are these little red lines on the outside of the brand?" Piper asked. 


End file.
